Are pills the only solution for depression?

[sunset1978]

I have never taken any type of pills for depression. However I know I go through my stages of depression. I've grown up with family dysfunction as like a lot of people. I am finding all these traits I have that are not so good, due to my upbringing. I can feel that some of them have followed me into adulthood. Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed with so much information on the internet. I feel like I have a little of everything

I really want to try and meditate, but I always find I am too busy and my excuse is I never have time.

 

I have recently decided to do some soul searching for self improvement. I really strive to be happy in life because we only live once & I get sick of all the people out there who mope around and complain of all there woe's.

Sometimes I feel that when I feel down- I truly feel like something physical inside of me is off.

I always have these great plans I write down and brainstorm, but I never accomplish anything.

I've never been one for pills, but any suggestion on anyone who has been on pills versus those who haven't and dealt with depression??

[Mrlonelyone]

Pills are not a solution. They do help you do deal when things are really bad.

[denise_xo]

I don't think it's an either/or scenario. Pills are just one tool out of many others in the tool box.

 

I was extremely hesitant towards ADs for many years but eventually got on them at a time when I was very low. I took them for two years and then went off them again. In spite of my strong skepticism, I now consider it one of the best decisions of my life. It was, however, a means to an end and part of a much bigger package that included counseling, life style changes, dropping alcohol, doing more exercise, doing meditation and yoga, getting better food routines, doing lots of soul searching, etc. But what it specifically did for me was to take me to a state where I could address all of my issues with a more systematic and long term perspective, rather than just trying to keep my nose above water and get through the day. I didn't have any side effects of significance.

 

Everyone's different, but that's my experience in a nut shell.

 

Good luck to you

[Feelin Frisky]

Please don't characterize today's medication as "pills". That term is very prejudicial--conjuring a time when people took uppers and downers to "cope". Those times have long been over in medicine. Science and pharmaceuticals have advanced soooooooo much further than merely medicating away the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Today's medications address the chemical causes of depression in the brain and help a person learn to avoid patterns of thinking and feeling which manifest as depression. Today's medication are not a "crutch" or a "cop out"--they are the opposite. They are the acceptance of responsibility for one's recovery and reflect a strength of character in their pursuit--not a weakness. I urge you and anyone carrying the mis-perception of medication as "pills" forward to spend some time learning the history of change in psychiatry over the last quarter century. Today's meds are not your father's "pills".

[josie54]

I have suffered from depression for the past 15 years or so (or perhaps longer...15 years ago was when I first talked to a doctor about it). It did get bad at a certain point, and I went to see a psychologist who prescribed Lexapro first, and then Wellbutrin.

 

The Lexapro made me so sleepy as to make me nonfunctional. I stayed on it for three weeks, but could only keep awake about three hours a day, even though I took it in the evening as directed. Luckily, I worked at home and I somehow managed to do my work during this time, but after three weeks, I realized that was no way to live.

 

Then, I tried the Wellbutrin. It did not make me excessively sleepy, but it put a metallic taste in my mouth so that no food tasted good (I lost 10 lbs, but not in a good way), I had strange psychedelic dreams that were not pleasant, and I found that my emotions had flatlined. I felt neither good nor bad. I stayed on the Wellbutrin for six weeks, until I had finally had enough of that.

 

The psychologist then prescribed Effexor. This time, when I did my research on the drug, I read many horror stories related to the side effects and then to trying to wean off the drug. After that, I did not have the courage to take it, even for a short time.

 

So that experience has led me to believe that anti-depressants aren't the answer, at least for me. Instead, I try to exercise regularly (high intensity, such as running, jumping rope, etc...). When I don't exercise I find that I slip into my previous depressive thought patterns. When I do, my mood, while not "happy," is also not hopeless. I set time aside at least once or twice a week for meditation or, simply some deep breathing. I take B vitamins and D-3. I've tried supplements such as Ashwagandha, Rhodiola Rosea, and Panax Ginseng. They also helped me keep my mood up, although I had to experiment to find which ones worked best. I also tried St. John's Wort and Sam-E, but the first made me too sensitive to the sun (as they warn, but for me, it was noticeable) and the second didn't really help me.

 

I also try to lay off foods with refined sugar in them, because I have found that, even though I crave sweet foods, they also cause me to be excessively depressed.

 

I recently stopped taking all supplements except for B, D, and fish oil because of other health issues (I did not want to risk any interactions with other stuff I must take, so I stopped). But the exercise and regular vitamins still keep me on an even keel. I'm not sure if anti-depressants are or are not right for you, but I know that they certainly weren't right for me. Other methods worked much better, without any side effects.

Edited January 16, 2011 by josie54

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

Pills can be a solution. However, they aren't the only solution. Figuring out what brought on the depression, and learning to cope with it, is a much easier fix.

 

Also, exercise is a great stress and depression reliever! If you don't get much exercise, you can probably bet on where your depression is coming from. Happy people are healthy people.

[just_some_guy]

Vigorous physical exercise is probably the most effective tool to fight off depression. Sleep is vital as is getting out of bed and out of the house on a regular schedule. Eating right, a balanced diet with good nutrition, a proper number of calories balanced between fat, protein and carbohydrate, and eating at regular hours is also key. Lots of good self-care, right down to brushing and flossing, showering every day, wearing clean clothes all contribute to positive mental health. Talking through problems with someone else, particularly a counselor is also vital to fighting depression.

 

You have to choose to combat depression. If you don't actively motivate yourself and get up and exercise, go through the trouble of eating well and regularly, sleep a proper number of hours and carrying through the activities, the depression will win.

 

Sometimes, it is not enough and you may need medication to help you control the symptoms of depression.

[funinTibet]

If the depression is that bad that you are hardly able to move a muscle, pills can help, but they won't help you get rid of your depression. Having overcome nearly 26 years of depression, I can safely say that depression is a combination of poor physical health and wrong thinking patterns. I used a mixture of NLP, yoga, pranic healing, and pranayama to get rid of my depression. I do feel it coming on even now, but I am in control these days, not the depression.

[creighton0123]

Pills are not a solution. They do help you do deal when things are really bad.

 

This is bad advice. Yes, pills are not a complete solution, but for those experiencing prolonged, clinical depression are allowed the opportunity to function because of certain combinations of medication.

 

There are other ways to treat depression. If not clinical there are things that can be tried involving diet, exercise, therapy to resolve temporary depression.

 

Someone on here recommended "vigorous physical exercise" as the best tool for solving depression. That's fine and dandy, but to those who suffer extreme depression or who is close to someone who has suffered extreme depression, they would recognize that physical exercise is not always an option given that one common symptom is extreme and unmanageable fatigue.

 

The best advice on here was from josie54.

[quankanne]

Today's medications address the chemical causes of depression in the brain and help a person learn to avoid patterns of thinking and feeling which manifest as depression. Today's medication are not a "crutch" or a "cop out"--they are the opposite. They are the acceptance of responsibility for one's recovery and reflect a strength of character in their pursuit--not a weakness.

 

thank you for pointing this out! Depression and treatment for it still gets a bad rap, when people refuse to see that it's all about blood chemistry. What works for me won't necessarily work for you, what works for you is kryptonite for someone else, simply because everybody's blood chem. is so unique. But a doctor who is aware of your medical problems and what's going on with your life can help get you on a good regimen that might just include A/Ds, and it'll make a world of difference once your blood gets back into whack.

 

I went into a pretty bad funk about 8 years ago, when my mom was dying … I was stressing out physically because I was driving cross-state 2-3 times a month to care for her and my dad, psychologically, I felt like I was drowning, and then there was the grieving process on top of all that. Oh yeah, and my dad was acting like a real *ss, chasing after a younger woman while my mother was in the nursing home. Thank GOD for Dr. T, my physican, who'd always been really good about listening to his patients and figuring out what was going on between the lines. He started me out on Vitamin B supplements, then shots, then finally suggested I start taking Wellbutrin. Fortunately, it was the prescription that did the trick first time out of the gate (others have told me that they had bad response to it, and that they had to try additional prescriptions before finding something that worked for them).

 

my doctor also explained that there are various triggers for depression, and mine apparently was stress (physical and emotionally) related, so it's been possible for me to go off my prescription once things got balanced in my life.

 

so please, don't ever think "pills" are not a possible solution when you have no idea what's missing in your body chemistry. As Frisky points out, this generation of meds are much more advanced than what was around 30, 20 or even 10 years ago!

 

food for thought: the chemical imbalance

[donnamaybe]

Also, exercise is a great stress and depression reliever! If you don't get much exercise, you can probably bet on where your depression is coming from. Happy people are healthy people.

Exercise makes a WORLD of difference! Get that heart pumping every day!

[Sw3etdev1L]

Look... I am a clynical nutritionist, and went through some rough stuff in my life. What I can tell you that will make you feel better is.

Stay away from alcohol, drugs, smoking.

Try to do exercise, min 40 minutes 4 to 5 times a week.

Eat healthy!, balanced eating that means.. Whey bread, corn, brown bread, avocado, nuts, meat, vegetables and fruits to five times a day.. means, eat good, eat healthy, eat balanced... and from day to day give yourself a treat and enjoy ice creams, cakes, chocolate to moderation.. enjoy your food.

Go to a chekup with a doctor.. I think it is the best decision ever. Why autodiagnose yourself if you are ignorant on the matter. Search for a good doctor, see what he tells u.. Antidepressives are not an evil thing, break it off with the taboo.. A lot of people take them and it makes them feel good. Depression is a sickness that might be hereditary and which might be triggered by dysfunctional behaviour on their background but you can be cured and feel like yourself again.

Don't hesitate in giving yourself a checkup.

Go to a psychologist.. Talking about your problems is going to make you feel so much relieved and better. Has to be a smart doctor.

Meditate, do yoga, do weights, do things not to make yourself look good but for yourself to be healthy. It will make you feel so much better.

Search yourself activities past the tv..

Read, mingle with new people, socialize.. People who socialize and try to have a good attitude about life and people are known to live more than the ones who don't..

Write a list of 50 things , of why you love yourself.. These will make you feel better about yourself too. It will increase your self esteem and loving yourself you will be able to love other people.

Have a great life : )

[I am healed]

They do work, but should be used as a last resort, I'm a neuroscience guy!. I would try to other things first though they is a whole slew of things you could do first, I would research the alternatives first.

[griffinchicken53]

Research and read everything about the medication before you take it. I had a seizure while on an anti-depressant (it was listed as a side effect). I don't know what caused it, but i wouldn't wish that upon anyone. My life fell apart, still depressed and because of the anti-seizure medication I can't be on an anti-depressant. So I have to try the alternatives.

[xpaperxcutx]

I was previously diagnosed with clinical depression, but I've been known to to do things consistent with BD. I personally, don't think " meds" are the answer unless your condition had been so severe that " meds" are a necessary measure.

 

I used to be on Prozac and it really messed up my body and my thinking. Right now, in terms of treatment for my " problems", I've only been doing therapy/ CBT and trying to take better care of my body with exercise.